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“ANIMALS + HUMANS = ONE HEALTH”:
HOW TO MAKE MEAT OFFICIAL CONTROLS WORK FOR
ALL? How to review meat controls to strengthen
consumer confidence in the meat chain?
SPEAKERS BIOGRAPHIES
Vidmantas Paulauskas
Vidmantas Paulauskas is the Deputy Director of State Food and Veterinary
Service of the Republic of Lithuania, responsible for the organisation of
official control of the animal health and welfare sectors in Lithuania,
alongside the organisation of official control of feed, feed additives,
veterinary medicines and preparations, animal by-products, veterinary drug
residues and import/transit control of food products. Vidmantas is also
involved in the organisation of official control of food products of animal
origin and emergency measures in case of outbreaks of contagious animal
diseases. Other areas of work include the organisation of official control of
animal registration and identification and the implementation of the
Quality System in the sector of responsibilities according to EN ISO 17020.
Vidmantas is also responsible for the coordination of activities between
State Food and Veterinary service and Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of
Interior, Ministry of Health, Customs Department, National Accreditation
Bureau and other institutions.
Vidmantas’ past work experience includes his roles as the Deputy Director
of National Veterinary Laboratory (1997-2007), Senior officer at European
Integration Department of State Veterinary Service (1996-1997) and
Laboratory assistant at Research Centre of Animal Digestion Physiology
and Pathology (1995-1996).
Vidmantas studied for his Ph. D at the Lithuanian University of H after
gaining a degree in Economics at Vilnius University in 2000 and a degree
in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Lithuanian Veterinary
Academy in 1995.
Bernard Van Goethem
Dr Bernard Van Goethem is the Director of Directorate G: Veterinary and
International Affairs in the European Commission’s DG Health and
Consumers (DG SANCO).
Dr Van Goethem joined the European Commission in 1987, first working in
DG Agriculture before moving to DG SANCO in 1999.
Dr Van Goethem studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Liège,
graduating in 1984 before going on to take a Diploma of Tropical
Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry at the Prince Leopold Institute,
Antwerp and obtaining a degree in agricultural engineering at the Catholic
University of Louvain La Neuve in 1988.
Steve Wearne
Steve Wearne was appointed Director of Food Safety in July 2013 and two
months later became Director of Policy at the Food Safety, Food Standards
Agency (FSA).
Steve is a scientist by training, with a degree in biochemistry and a spell of
postgraduate research in molecular biology. Steve joined the Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in 1990 and held a range of posts in food
science and food policy development, before transferring to the Agency
when it was launched in 2000.
Mr MICHAEL SCANNELL
Director of the Food and Veterinary Office, European Commission
Michael Scannell was appointed in April 2010 as Director of the Food and
Veterinary Office (FVO) in the Directorate General for Health and
Consumers of the European Commission. The FVO is responsible for
promoting proper enforcement and compliance with EU requirements on
food safety, animal and plant health in both Member States and third
countries. It is located in Ireland and employs a staff of 177 who carry out
audits in relation to enforcement and controls. Prior to this appointment,
Mr Scannell worked in the European Commission in Brussels since 1988 in a
range of positions in the Directorates General for Development, Economic
and Financial Affairs and Health and Consumers. His positions included
spokesperson for the European Union in the Codex Alimentarius
Commission and in the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee of the World
Trade Organisation and Head of Unit on international relations in DG
SANCO. He also worked from 1995 to 2002 in the cabinets of
Commissioners Flynn and Byrne, specialising in agriculture, trade,
economic, public health and food safety related policies.
Jos Goebbels
Jos Goebbels is the President of the Dutch Meat Association (COV) and Vice
Chairman of the Meat Industry Section of UECBV.
Jos studied as a Veterinarian at the Specialist veterinary Public Health of the
Royal Dutch veterinary Association.
Jos’ former positions include: Director of the Dutch Food and Product
safety Authority, General Manager of the MAF Verification Agency in New
Zealand, Deputy CVO in the Ministry of Health and a Member of several EU
and Codex Committees
Dr Davy Liger
Davy Liger is head of the office of slaughterhouses and cutting plants,
ministry of agriculture, food processing industry and forestry.
Davy began his career in 2004 as head of the office for classified
installations for environmental protection and then as head of the office for
animal health and animal protection.
In 2007, he worked for the General directorate for food, i.e. the central
instance of French veterinary services. Between 2007 and 2011, he has been
the expert for cattle traceability and identification and was part of the
project that set in place electronic identification of small ruminants. In
2011-2012, Davy took up a role in charge of transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies issues at the office of slaughterhouses and cutting
plants. This was subsequently followed by his role as the head of the office
slaughterhouses and cutting plants in 2012.
Pablo Romero Barrios
Pablo graduated as a veterinarian in 1994 at the University of Zaragoza,
Spain and obtained an MSc in epidemiology in 2004 at the University of
Guelph, Canada.
Pablo moved to the UK in 1997, where he worked as an official veterinarian
in several positions, including as an inspector in abattoirs across the
country. He subsequently worked in Canada and Indonesia as a veterinary
epidemiologist, usually in the field of veterinary public health.
In 2009, Pablo joined the Unit on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) of EFSA as a
senior scientific officer, where from 2010 he has been deeply involved in
the coordination of the BIOHAZ Panel work on the revision of meat
inspection.
Pablo is currently Senior Officer of the Biological Hazards Unit, EFSA.
Dr Koen Van Dyck, EU Commission - DG SANCO - Head of Health &
Consumers Directorate
International affairs
General,
Directorate
G
-
Veterinary
and
Mr Koen Van Dyck graduated as a Doctor in Veterinary medicine in 1986
from the University of Gent (Belgium). He was awarded a Master's Degree in
the hygiene of foodstuffs of animal origin in 1994 and a Degree as Auditor
in 1999 both also from Gent University.
In 1987 he began work as an official veterinarian for the Belgian Ministry of
Public Health-Regional Veterinary Services. In 1991 he moved to
headquarters where he took the post of head of sector involved in food
safety management (slaughterhouses, cutting plants and cold stores), BSE,
export third countries and animal identification in bovine animals.
In 1999 he joined the European Commission as a Veterinary inspector at the
Food and Veterinary Office – Health & Consumer Protection Directorate
General (DG SANCO) and conducted audits in the Member States and Third
countries within the sector food of animal origin – BSE.
In November 2001 he moved to the DG SANCO Headquarters in Brussels
and joined the TSE Division. From 1 July 2004, he was appointed Head of
Sector TSE. From 1 January 2009, he is Head of Unit of the Unit Food, Alert
System and Training.
Within this role, he is responsible for Food and Feed Hygiene Legislation,
BSE, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and DG SANCO
"Better training For Safer Food" programme.
Richard Arsenault
Richard Arsenault is an Executive Director of Agri-Food Meat and Seafood
Safety Directorate, Canada.
Dr Arsenault obtained his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the
University of Montreal in 1987. He joined the Canadian federal meat
inspection service in 1989 as a front-line abattoir veterinarian and has
progressed within the organization in varying capacities of increasing
responsibility over the past twenty-four years.
In 2005, he completed a study on the prevalence of Salmonella spp and
Campylobacter spp, and associated risk factors in commercial broiler farms
in Ontario, Canada to obtain his Master's Degree in Veterinary
Epidemiology from the University of Guelph.
His extensive experience in the field of meat hygiene program design and
delivery, involvement in the introduction of mandatory HACCP in the early
2000s, and leadership of the program during the 2008 Canadian Listeria
monocytogenes outbreak associated with Ready-to-eat meats and the
2012 E coli O157:H7 XL Foods, inc. recall have allowed Dr Arsenault to
appreciate the need for evolving Canada's meat inspection system to make
it better at preventing contemporary food safety hazards.
At the same time, his work in leading the implementation of changes to
inspection have given him a unique insight into the organizational culture
and people management challenges associated with making changes to
long standing industry and government inspection practices.
Dr Arsenault is happy to be able to meet with you electronically today to
share his thought on this important subject and present about Canada's
current and ambitious food inspection modernization agenda.
Deividas Kliucinskas
Since 2010 Deividas has been the Acting Head of Veterinary Sanitary
Department for the State Food and Veterinary Service.
Key responsibilities include organising official veterinary, food safety and
hygiene control at all the stages of handling food of animal origin and the
division of work planning, organizing and co-ordination. Deividas also
ensures veterinary, food safety, hygiene and quality control coordination
between animal and animal food industries.
Francisco Javier Dominguez Orive - Deputy Veterinary Director and
Head of Strategy (Hygiene and Microbiology)- Food Standards Agency
Javier was born in Bilbao (Spain) and completed his Veterinary Degree at
the University of Leon (Spain). He first started working in Veterinary Public
Health in Peru where he spent one year working for the local authorities
providing technical assistance to implement food hygiene and food safety
programmes. On his return to Spain he started a degree in Food Science
and Technology at the University of Leon and as a result he moved to the
University of Gent (Belgium) where he became a member of the
Agricultural Department working as a microbiologist and completing a
Master’s Degree in Food Science and Technology. In January 1999 he took
employment in the UK working as an Official Veterinarian. Two years later,
in 2001 he became a senior veterinarian for the West Yorkshire area. In
taking management responsibilities Javier enrolled in a part time MBA at
the Bradford School of Management where he graduated in 2005. In
January 2003 Javier started a job as Veterinary Adviser for the Meat
Hygiene Service. In June 2008 Javier joined the UK Food Standards Agency
where he is the Deputy Veterinary Director and Head of Strategy in the
Hygiene and Microbiology Division. Currently his main duties involve
leading the programme of work designed for the delivery of more risk and
evidence based meat official controls and leading on the development of a
renewed UK Foodborne Disease Strategy.
Javier lectures at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in different
Veterinary Schools, he collaborates with EFSA where he has been an expert
member of several working groups and with the Food and Veterinary Office
(FVO) where he is a national expert.
Dr. Horst Schnellhardt - MEP, COMENVI
Veterinary surgeon (1970). Doctor of veterinary medicine (1984). Veterinary
surgeon specializing in food hygiene (1986). Vet in Halberstadt (1970-1990).
District veterinary officer (1990). Head of Halberstadt veterinary agency
(1990).
CDU District Chairman (1992-1994). Member, Regional Executive (since
1993). Member, Regional Committee on European Affairs (since 1990).
Member, Federal Committee on European Affairs (1990-2004 and since
2008).
Chairman, CDU Group Federal and European Affairs Working Group,
Saxony-Anhalt Regional Assembly (1992-1994). Member, CDU Group
Executive (1992-1994).
Member of the European Parliament (since 1994). Vice-President, EPP-ED
Group Working Group. Substitute Member of the Executive of the
European People's Party.
Representative for Saxony-Anhalt on the Committee of the Regions (19941998). Vice-President of the European Movement in Saxony-Anhalt.
Federal Cross of Merit with ribbon.
As a Member of the EP Committee on the Environment, Public Health and
Food Safety, Dr. Schnellhardt is very active on the dossiers of the highest
importance for the meat sector. In particular he was the rapporteur for the
“hygiene package” which lays down the framework for a high level of
hygiene in food production.
Rodrigo Gouveia - Euro Coop
Rodrigo Gouveia is Secretary-General of EURO COOP, the European
Community of Consumer Co-operatives and of Consumer Co-operatives
Worldwide (CCW), the sector organisation for consumer co-operatives of
the International Co-operative Alliance. He holds a degree in Law from the
University of Lisbon and Post-graduate degrees in Consumer Law and in
Public Economic Regulation both from the University of Coimbra. Since
1998, he had been working as Head of Department for consumer and
environmental affairs at FENACOOP, EURO COOP Portuguese member
organisation. He also worked as a Lawyer and Lecturer for the Higher
School for Business Sciences in Setúbal, Portugal. In his capacity as
Secretary-General at EURO COOP and CCW he is responsible for the general
coordination of the Secretariat and of its representation activities in policy
areas such as food safety, environment and ethics, consumer protection
and internal market.
Andrew Foot
Andrew Foot is a 5th generation farmer from South West England. Having
diversified from dairy production in 1997 the 260 ha farm now runs a large
suckler herd of Hereford, Angus and Devon cross cows and a flock of Dorset
Horn sheep. Andrew set up a company to procure, butcher and sell beef
and other meats to local schools, restaurants and shops and is keen to
develop a productive and sustainable beef industry, increase the role of
research and innovation in agriculture and increase promotion of red meat
in the EU and third countries. He is also interested in how farming and the
environment can work together, being Chairman of the Dorset Farm and
Wildlife Advisory Group and Chairman of the Dorset Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty as well as participating in an UK agri-environment schemes.
He is currently vice-chair of the Copa-Cogeca Working Party on Beef and
Veal, as well vice NFU beef group chairman.
Christophe Buhot – FVE
C. Buhot graduated in veterinary medicine in 1984 from the Ecole Nationale
Vétérinaire of Toulouse (France) where he obtained his Doctor Degree in
1986.
In 1991 he was granted a certificate of specialized studies in
ophthalmology. During his studies of veterinary medicine and after
graduation, Christophe has been working as a veterinary practitioner both
with large and companion animals.
Since 1998 he is a board member and the treasurer of the SNVEL (Syndicat
National des Vétérinaires d'Exercice Libéral), the French association of
practitioners.
From 2001 to 2005 he served as a UEVP (European Union of Veterinary
Practitioners) Vice-president and from 2005 to 2009 he has been the UEVP
President. From 2009 to 2011 he has been FVE Vice-president and in June
2011 he has been appointed FVE President. His mandate in FVE has been
renewed until 2015.
Dr. Flemming Thune-Stephensen
Chairman of the UECBV Working Group on veterinary issues
Dr. Thune-Stephensen is currently the Chief Adviser, DVM, at the Danish
Agriculture & Food Council. He made his education in veterinary medicine
in the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Copenhagen.
His carrier allows him to perform his job from different angles as he started
as a practitioner, then he was a veterinary adviser in the UK, Saudi Arabia
and Egypt.
He became official veterinarian for the Danish Veterinary and Food
Administration before joining the Danish Livestock and Meat board in
1990. It is today The Danish Agriculture and Food Council.
Mario Pirillo
Since 2009, was elected Member of the European Parliament with Socialists
& Democrats Group. He is a Member of the following Parliamentary
Committees: Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), Industry,
Research and Energy (ITRE), Fisheries (PECH), and International Trade
(INTA). He takes also part in the following Delegations as a Member: EuroLatin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLAT); Mercosur (DMER) and
Euronest.
He is the main rapporteur for "Official Controls Regulation" in ENVI
Committee.
Mario Pirillo was born on September 11th 1945, in Amantea (Italy). He
started as a teacher at the IPSIA Institute (Istituto Professionale di Stato per
l'industria e l'artigianato) and a freelance journalist. He started his political
carrier very young in 1972 as Municipal Councillor in his town and
becoming Leader of Christian Democrats Party of Amantea. In 1981, he was
appointed as President of the USSL (Local Health Unit). He was elected for
the first time Member of Calabrian Regional Council in 1990, and
reconfirmed for other 3 terms: in 1995, in 2000 and in 2005 elections. He
covered the positions of President of the II° Economic Development
Commission and President of the Board of Auditors in 1993, and in August
1994, he was appointed as Member of the Regional Executive responsible
for the Budget, Financial Planning and EU Affairs. He was Vice-Chairman of
the Regional Executive from 1995 until 1997.
In August 1997, he was nominated regional leader of CDU Party (Christian
Democratic Union) and in January 1999, he became Member of Calabrian
Regional Executive responsible for Agriculture, Forestry, Hunting and
Fishing until the end of 2005. From 2006 until 2009, he was Vice President
of AGEA (Italian National Agency for Farming Subsidies)